But despite disappointment, there was an absence of despair among a core group in the Over-the-Rhine business community.

There was no pause in the basement kitchen at Zula, a new restaurant along the streetcar line.

The owner, Tsvika Silberberg, known as Vic to patrons, emailed some lawmakers Thursday to ask again for reconsideration.

"(It’s for) people like me that invested everything that they had on the premise that the streetcar is going to be here and took huge risk and created 30 new jobs," Silberberg said as he rolled dough in preparation for the evening's fare.

Now that the new majority council has voted, the audit of the project’s cost is under intense scrutiny.

The audit will likely be completed by a three-person team but the time frame is expected to be a couple of weeks.

"Right now, the city administration, they're running point on this," Council member P.G. Sittenfeld said. "They're going to let us know tomorrow what the scope is, who they are taxing with doing it."

If you see what looks like streetcar track construction going on, understand the crews are not in "build" mode.

They were trying to smooth the unfinished rough spots before ice and snowy weather arrived Thursday night.

Utility crews in the middle of moving lines were working at their own risk and on their own dime.

Money hangs over the incomplete and uncertain construction site in a monumental way.

There is the real possibility that $45 million in federal money might have to be given back to the government.

The Federal Transit Administration indicated as much before the new council being sworn in last Sunday.

Wednesday night, letters to contractors were forwarded to the FTA, saying an independent analysis was expected by Dec. 18 and a final decision is anticipated soon thereafter.

Streetcar supporters, like Sean Lee, were hoping the federal administrators will wait for the new numbers to see if there might be a change by one or more of the council members.

"We'll look at all the options," Lee said. "(We can plan) legal and ballot initiatives, things like that."

Lee said he sensed a lot of energy being channeled in the direction of new cost numbers and proving that the cost to cancel is higher than the cost to continue.

That is not what Mayor-elect John Cranley anticipated. He believed the cost comparison will show conclusively that the project should not move forward after all.

Even if it eventually does, there's no certainty that critical federal grant money will still be available.

As of Thursday, the city hadn't heard definitively one way or the other.

"If council indicates that they're genuinely thinking about this and there's a possibility they might go forward, might the federal government continue to be a partner? I think that's a possibility," Sittenfeld said. "We just don't know right now."

What Silberberg knows is that the progress in the area around his restaurant at 14th and Race has been amazing.

"If you had asked me five, six, seven years ago if I would ever consider opening a business in this neighborhood or downtown, I would say you're probably out of your mind,” Silberberg said.

HALT! LEAVING THE STREETCAR.... STRANDED. WLWT NEWS FIVE'S JOHN LONDON IS LIVE ALONG THE ROUTE TONIGHT... JOHN.... HOW IS THIS... GIVING LOCAL BUSINESSES PAUSE? THOSE WHO MOVED AND OPENED DOWN HERE BECAUSE OF THE STREETCAR... REMAIN COMMITTED, BUT WORRIED... WE'RE TAKING YOU INTO ONE OF THOSE SPOTS TONIGHT TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF HOW WHY THEY FEEL THAT WAY. On the day after the pause... (kitchen work) There's no slowing down in the basement kitchen at Zula. (more activity in kitchen) Tsvika Silberberg's new restaurant at 14th and Race is right along the streetcar line that is officially on hold. (Tsvika Silberberg - Owner, Zula Restaurant) ("People like me that invested everything that they had on the premise that the streetcar is going to be here and took huge risk and created thirty new jobs...") Now that the new majority Council has spoken, the audit of the costs is under intense scrutiny. It will likely be a three- person team, but who On the day after the pause... (kitchen work) There's no slowing down in the basement kitchen at Zula. (more activity in kitchen) Tsvika Silberberg's new restaurant at 14th and Race is right along the streetcar line that is officially on hold. (Tsvika Silberberg - Owner, Zula Restaurant) ("People like me that invested everything that they had on the premise that the streetcar is going to be here and took huge risk and created thirty new jobs...") Now that the new majority Council has spoken, the audit of the costs is under intense scrutiny. It will likely be a three- person team, but who exactly? (P G Sittenfeld - Cincinnati Council) ("Right now, the city administration, they're running point on this. They're going to let us know tomorrow what is the scope, who are they taxing with doing it ...") (work at Findlay Market) If you see this kind of thing going on, understand the crews are not in "build" mode. They are trying to smooth the unfinished rough spots before the weather hits. An effort requiring patience at times as you can see. (unidentified citizen, looking around and shrugging) ("...and you came into this and it's kind of, yeah.") Hanging over this incomplete and uncertain construction site is the possible loss of $45 million federal dollars. Last night, letters to contractors were forwarded to the F-T-A, saying an independent analysis is expected by December 18th and a final decision anticipated soon thereafter. Streetcar supporters say they're "disappointed", but not "dejected", hoping the Feds will wait and the new numbers will work. But, they're also keeping their powder dry. (Sean Lee - Streetcar Advocate) ("We'll look at all the options. Legal, ballot initiatives, things like that.") (more kitchen work) You've read a lot on WLWT.com about attracting young professionals to the city and keeping them ... Streetcar is an ingredient for the recipe-oriented here at Zula. (Tsvika Silberberg) ("If you stop that, then what's going to be the next most exciting thing in Cincinnati? Eating chili four times a week instead of three? I mean, really, what is it going to be?") IT IS GOING TO BE A DECISIVE NEXT FEW DAYS... STARTING WITH THE AUDIT TEAM, PROBABLY TOMORROW. LIVE IN OVER-THE-RHINE, JOHN LONDON, WLWT NEWS FIVE. THE JURY NOW HAS THE CASE.... OF A MAN ACCUSED OF IMPERSONATING